On this day in 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor. Liberty Enlightening the World, was the brainchild of Edouard de Laboulaye and a gift from France to honor our mutual belief in democracy and freedom, as well as our alliance during the American Revolution.

The Statue of Liberty’s face waiting to be installed. Liberty Island, New York (1885). Photo courtesy of the National Park Service (nps.gov)

The statue is located on Liberty Island in New York harbor. She stands 305 feet 6 inches tall (with pedestal) and weighs a whopping 225 tons. Her exterior is made of thin sheets (their thickness equal to only 2 pennies!) of copper and her glowing torch is covered in 24k gold. Inside, a steep spiral staircase will take you from ground to crown. French sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi fashioned Lady Liberty’s somber, resolute face after his mother.

Laden with symbolism, the 7 rays on the Statue of Liberty’s crown represent the 7 continents, and the 25 windows represent earth’s 25 gemstones. Named after the Roman goddess, Libertas, the Statue of Liberty continues to stand as a beacon of hope and freedom. Following is the famous poem engraved on her pedestal.

If you’d like a closer look, click on this link to access several of Lady Liberty’s webcams: Liberty_Cam

Fun French Fact: Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel was hired in 1879, after the chief engineer on the Statue of Liberty project died unexpectedly. Eiffel created the internal iron structure of the statue. His ingenious design led to his subsequent work on the Eiffel tower.

Fun Liberty Fact: The Statue of Liberty served as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902.

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Published by CJ Verb

CJ Verb writes Museum Bites, a weekly travel blog featuring an eclectic assortment of exhibits, historical sites, and quirky bits of history. She is the author of It’s Just Kindergarten…Isn’t It? and a docent at the Michigan State University Museum. CJ Verb has been a member of Capital City Writers Association since 2014, and on the Executive Board since 2015. She fancies cheesy 1970s sci-fi, road trips, yoga, all things Star Trek and Monty Python…because let’s face it, “strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.” You can find her at https://cjverb.com/.
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